Matthew Smith just had to leave the Magic Millions sale knowing the filly by Golden Slipper winner Sebring was joining the team.
The youngster in question is Frill Seeking and she is down to run in Thursday’s $200,000 Wyong Magic Millions 2yo in what is shaping as a big couple of days for Smith’s Warwick Farm stable.
The trainer has Cabernet running in Saturday’s Villiers Stakes and stablemate Slow The Flow returns in the Razor Sharp with both races held on the home track.
“I paid $150,000 for Frill Seeker and that is a dear one for me,” Smith said on Wednesday.
Loyal clients John Carter and Belinda Evans, who race Smith’s group 1 Myer Classic winner Hurtle Myrtle, were happy to take a share in Frill Seeker and invited friends into the partnership.
“I really liked the dam of Frill Seeker, a mare named Vietnam,” Smith said.
“She was one of those horses you hook onto and I liked this one’s pedigree.
“I was keen from that point of view and I was keen to buy her.”
Smith has no doubt the juvenile “goes good” but Frill Seeker “is not an out and out two-year-old by any means”.
“I’ve no doubt she’ll make it as a three-year-old but she has got to this point by herself, she really hasn’t been pushed,” Smith said.
“The barrier [10] tomorrow makes it a bit awkward but she will be competitive. She will improve a heap on the first outing she had here at Warwick Farm a fortnight ago.”
Following a listed race win at Flemington Cabernet was a close-up fifth behind Malavio and last year’s Villiers winner Monton in the Festival Stakes at Rosehill last Saturday week.
“She has had a good preparation for this Villiers,” Smith said.
“Her run two weeks ago in the Festival was very good, she was beaten just on a length and a quarter and I believe two weeks between runs will be better than three for her.
“She is quite a big mare and she has done well on the training track.”
Smith describes Slow The Flow, whose spring campaign had to be aborted due to soreness, as a “real good mare for the stable”.
“She is resuming and has had a couple of barrier trials,” Smith said.
“She can take a few runs to come good and she looks a bit big to me although you never know with these types.
“She is back in a bit early and my view is we’ll give her a couple of runs, back off and get her ready for the autumn.
“I’m confident she’ll win a stakes race for us.”
By Craig Young
